Students' food-for-the-needy project takes wings

06 August 2008 | Story by Helen Théron

Shake on it: (Left) Feedback's Freddy Janeke (distribution co-ordinator) and RoyaSechaba's Mark Taylor (national head of operations), at the signing of an agreement with UCT to distribute surplus, unplated food from residence kitchens to the needy.

Operation Reach Every Street, a project initiated by UCT medical students to feed the hungry, has born fruit.

This week UCT, residence food contractors RoyalSechaba and Feedback Food Redistribution signed an agreement that will see surplus unplated food from residence kitchens donated to the needy.

For some time now Operation RES students have been taking surplus residence food to various shelters. However, this created certain risk factors for RoyalSechaba. Just one break in the cold chain can result in food contamination.

"We have a very strict food redistribution policy but as a professional company we felt we should partner UCT and not look at this with closed eyes," said RoyaSechaba's Mark Taylor (national head of operations).

"Having accredited food redistributor Feedback on board safeguards the parties and recipients," said Residence Life manager Charmaine January. "This is a landmark partnership because the UCT contract is one of the larger institutional contracts in the city, feeding at about 4 000 students daily during term time and also services a limited number of vacation guests."

She said the partnership would afford the university and the students in residence an opportunity to realise one of UCT's main social responsibility goals.